Cartridge-belt.



C. W. LAIRD, P. M. MENTEYNE & P. A. DEGAILLE.

CARTRIDGE BELT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9. 1912. RENEWED MAY 26.1915.

1,150,435. 11.16.1111 Aug. 17,1915.

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vnmfwwam y f ES PATET CHARLES WILLIAM LAIRD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, AND PAUL MARIE MENTEYNE AND PIERRE ALBIN DEGAILLE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

CARTRIDGE-BELT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

Application filed July 9, 1912, Serial No. 708,534. Renewed May 26, 1915. Serial No. 30,688;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES WILLIAM LAIRD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and residing at 58 Pall Mall, London, S. W1, England, engineer, PAUL MARIE MENTEYNE, a citizen of the French Republic, and residing at 114 Rue Legendre, Paris, France, engineer, and PIERRE ALBIN Dn- GAILLE, a citizenof the French Republic, and residing at 85 Rue de Mnilmontant, Paris, France, mechanical engineer, have invented Improvements in Cartridge-Belts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In many automatic fire arms, and machine guns, the feeding with cartridges is effected by means of a charging band or belt upon which the cartridges are placed side by side.

The present invention has for its object a charging band or belt for feeding cartridges to automatic fire arms such as machine guns, ordnance and others. This band is formed by the union of a number of elements formed of twoshells inclosing and gripping a cartridge. T o obtain this grippingthe two shells of each element are connected together by means of a pin acting as a spring and which tends always to cause the two shells to approach each other. This band or belt has important advantages over other bands or belts at present employed. These advantages consist mainly in the following: 1st. The cartridge held firmly by the two shells cannot escape from the band or belt either during firing or during transport. 2nd. The elements do not require to be remade or repaired after each firing and can be re-supplied with cartridges indefinitely.

This invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a band ele ment containing a cartridge. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same element. Fig. 3 represents an end view or the above element as seen from the front end of the cartridge. Fig. 4 represents a rear end view of the aboveelement without a cartridge. Fig.5 represents in longitudinal section a part of this charging band. Figs. 6 and 7 show in horizontal section a.band element adapted for a cartridge having a groove around its rear end and a band element for a cartridge having a projecting rim, when these two cartridges are required to leave the rear.

As shown in the drawing, this charging band or belt is composed of a series of metallic elements A united to each other by a hinge B in such manner as to constitute a flexible chain of any required length, suitable to the requirements of the fire arm. Each of these elements contains a cartridge C, and operating mechanism forming part of the fire arm, brings successively each cartridge in front of the chamber of the barrel by moving the band in the longitudinal direction.

Each element consists essentially of two metallic shells at and a suitably formed to fit the shape of the cartridge. These two shells are connected together in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the cartridge, by two hinges D. For this purpose the shell a is provided with two hinge knuckles and 5, while the shell a is provided with two other hinge knuckles b b these parts alternating with each other as shown in Fig. 2. A pin cpassing through the knuckles 6, b b b unites the two shells at and This pin is flattened at its two ends 0 0 in the parts 7) and b .so as to cause the two shells to touch each other as represented in Fig. 4 so that, if it is desired to open the two shells, it is necessary to hoist slightly the pin. This pin acting as a spring, always tends in this way to cause the two free edges of the shells to approach each other, from which it results that the cartridge inclosed in the element is firmly held by the gripping of these two shells.

The forward parts of the shells are formed to embrace the forward end of the cartridge and to prevent it from escaping forward. Nevertheless, an inclined surface (Z is arranged on these forward parts so that by pushing the cartridge by the rear end at the same time holding the element fixed, the conical part of the forward part of the cartridge forces the shells to open. When the opening of the shells is thus obtained, the base of the cartridge has attained the beginning of the opening 6 so that the cartridge can then pass out of the element which held it. To prevent the cartridge from escaping rearwardly, two claws f are provided on the shells.

the band by Forcertain arms, the mechanism of which is arranged in such manner. as todraw the cartridge rearwardly in order to extract it from the band before pushing it into the barrel, the stop claws f enter the groove of the cartridge as indicated at Fig. '6 instead of bearing against the base. In like case, if the cartridge has a projecting rim, the said claws f are inclined rearwardly at about 45 as shown in Fig. 1.

Claims:

1. A charging band or belt for automatic fire arms comprising a plurality of elements flexibly connected to one another, each of said elements comprising apair of oppositely disposed shells adapted to grip a cartridge, and means normally forcing said shells to assume their gripping position.

2. A charging band or belt for automatic fire arms comprising a plurality of elements flexibly connected to one another, each of said elements comprising a pair of oppo-- sitely disposed shells adapted to grip a cartridge and spring means normally forcing said shells to assume their gripping position. v

' 3. A charging band or belt for automatic fire arms comprising a plurality of elements flexibly connected to one another, each of said elements comprising a pair of oppositely disposed shells adapted to grip a cartridge, means to prevent backward movement of the cartridge, and means normally 7 forcing said shells to assume their gripping position.

4. A charging band or belt for automatic fire arms comprising a plurality of elements flexibly connected to one another, each of said elements comprising a pair of oppositely disposed shells adapted to grip a car-. tridge, said shells being provided with curved portions adapted to be engaged by the cartridge as it is forced forward to cause said shells to separate, and means Signed by the said PAUL RIE MEN- TEYNE and PIERRE ALBIN DEGAILLE, this nineteenth day of March, 1913.

PAUL MARIE MENTEYNE. PIERRE ALBIN DEGAILLE. In the presence of RENE THmIo'r, BARTLEY F. Yos'r. 

